Algebra 1: This is a full course, broken into modules, so you can use it in its entirety, or just the parts you want. The course includes lesson plans, with links to related Khan Academy videos, worksheets and assessments with their answer keys, and each unit ends with a real-world project.

Geometry: The course is modular, so it can be used to supplement an existing Geometry program, or serve as the main curriculum. It's project-based, emphasizing real-world examples, such as using Geometry to create architectural designs for an apartment or house, or designing a floor plan that maximizes open space and natural light.

Calculus: Covers Limits & Continuity, Derivatives, Applications of Derivatives, Integrals, and Applications of Integrals. Includes links to workbooks and videos.

Virtual reality, in all its immersive and interactive glory, is being touted as the ultimate experiential device for a variety of fields, particularly education. Imagine homeschooling in VR. With your children, you could: tour destinations on earth or in the cosmos; study and manipulate 3-D anatomical, molecular, or geometric models; observe or participate in a historical event; explore daily life in Ancient Greece or Rome; analyze a piece of literature from the inside, as one of the characters; and many other possibilities. Using the technology in such a way would truly give new meaning to the phrase “learning by doing.”

Yet, despite the hype, virtual reality is nowhere near the cool level of sophistication of the Star Trek Holodeck. Nor are VR educational programs widely available and affordable to the masses. (Purchasing ordinary curricula and learning resources is costly enough, let alone shoveling out for expensive VR packages). Alas, when it comes to immersive simulations, most of us are still restricted to the imaginary realms of role plays and reenactments, (virtual worlds in their own right).

Still, even without computerized aids, pretending to be someone in a particular place and time can be both educational and fun (as many homeschoolers who act out history can attest to). Such experiential exercises may help learners to understand situations or concepts on a deeper level, providing them with a breadth and depth of perspective that doesn’t come from merely reading.

Although anchored in the real-world, the following free group activities can encourage active learning by putting kids “in the moment”:

Revolutionary Dinner Party: Become colonists during the Revolutionary War period. Host a dinner party for some "famous faces," and select the food and music for the night, and write a dialogue of a conversation you might hear.

Creating a Government: Stranded on an island with no chance of rescue, you must come up with rules for your community, and in the process, learn about different forms of government, and challenges faced when forming a government. (14-page download)

Civil War Children: See through the eyes of children in the North and South during the Civil War by reading excerpts from actual journals.

Reconstruction Convention: Step into the roles of historical figures during the time of Reconstruction and defend viewpoints on a number of issues.

Battle Simulations: At a site called JuniorGeneral.org, you can download, for free, paper armies and select scenarios with instructions and background to recreate particular battles, from ancient to modern times. Here’s a look at how a teacher used the site’s materials to recreate the Greeks vs. Persians at the Battle of Marathon. Epic.

Trench Warfare: Learn about conditions fighting in the trenches during World War I. There's a link to a Trench Warfare animation that’s good for background and for recreating sound effects.

If I Were President: Role play the President and key advisors while exploring the decision making process of the Executive Branch. Includes simulation material, role cards, instructional powerpoint, and handouts.

Mini Mock Trials: Learn about trial procedure, with several cases to choose from. Includes a mock trial manual and handouts.

Feudal Candy: Become nobles, vassals and peasants to learn about the power structure of the Middle Ages.

When it comes to teaching literature, some homeschool families like to use curricula that comes complete with pre-determined reading lists, comprehension and discussion questions. Other familes like to use literature guides for specific books, many of which are available for free. But what if you want a literary analysis study with questions, activities and essay topics that can be used with any book?

Since all works of fiction share the same basic elements, you can help your kids recognize and evaluate these elements using more generic resources. Here are some that are free:

Literary Elements: This short video lesson describes how the basic literary elements affect one another in a story, using Hunger Games as an example.

Literary Visions: This series of half-hour videos from Annenberg Learner discusses the basic elements of fiction in stories, poems, and plays.

If you want to delve deeper, you can get into the various techniques writers use, such as symbolism, tone, diction and point of view. Here are several worksheets to help study these:

Questions to consider when analyzing setting, plot, character, point of view, symbolism, and theme. 6pp.

Blank chart to fill in with information on various literary elements. 4 pp.:

You can also study based on the type of work, for example, analyzing a play(4 pp.) or poetry(3 pp.). This generic novel study guide breaks a book into thirds, with suggested questions for the beginning, middle, and end of a book. Includes word study and activity suggestions. (4 pp.) Here are 10 activities for analyzing short stories.